Photos courtesy of Candlelight Dinner Playhouse (Photos by Dave Arns/Arns Photography)

You don’t have to travel to New York City’s Broadway to see this Tony Award winning musical because it’s now playing at the Candlelight in Johnstown, Colorado. You know it’s got to be a great musical when it’s still being produced 78-years after it was written, and Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” is just that.

We started our evening by ordering the baked Brie. Served with a side of chutney, almonds and roasted garlic, it is now my favorite appetizer at the Candlelight. I’ve written this before, and I’ll likely write it again, but the food at this venue is one of the crowning achievements of this dinner theater.

The theater’s bartender puts together a special drink menu for each show, but this musical’s cocktails were all a little too sweet for my tastes so I opted for a gin martini and my husband, Ryan, ordered a beer.

For dinner we ordered from the standard menu that is included in the price of your ticket, and this menu never gets boring because they change it up a little for each show. I went with the Chicken L’Orange and Ryan ordered the Beef Pot Pie. The chicken was one of the best dishes I’ve had so far at Candlelight. Although I would have preferred potatoes instead of rice as a side, the chicken served on the bone with an orange marmalade was moist and delicious.

Ryan was quite satisfied with his potpie, a dish I’d had when we attended “Scrooge! The Musical.” The potpie has slow-roasted chunks of beef, big slices of chopped vegetables and a flaky pastry crust.

For those who are new to the concept of dinner theater, at this type of show your server is also an actor in the production, so make sure you treat them extra good when you get your bill.

On this evening Joey the Balloon Artists was visiting tables during the dinner hour and during our chat we discovered that he is playing the part of Billy Crocker during the last three weeks of “Anything Goes.” It seems everyone does double and triple duty at the Candlelight.

Dave Arns/Arns Photography

One reason I love dinner theater is that it takes you way for an entire evening. On this night, I was transported to the 1930s, aboard the SS American, on its way from New York to England with some very peculiar passengers.

The first draft of this production was entitled “Crazy Week,” then it was chanted to “Hard to Get” and eventually the writing team settled on “Anything Goes.” All the names fit this nutty story. In addition to a zany love triangle, Public Enemy #13 is aboard the ship – a recipe, not for disaster, but hilarity.

Candlelight has some of the best stage sets of any dinner theater we’ve been to in Colorado, and the costumes for this particular play were fun and colorful. There were more dance numbers in this Candlelight production than some of their past performances, and they were quite good, especially the tap number during the song, “Anything Goes.”

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for the entire evening, and that makes for an excellent night at the theater.

Candlelight Dinner Playhouse is going into their 5^th season, with upcoming shows including “Godspell,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Mame,” “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” and “Guys & Dolls.”

“Anything Goes” runs through March 11, and would be the perfect show for a Valentine’s Day date. “Oklahoma” starts March 17 and runs through June 3, 2012. For tickets, visit ColoradoCandlelight.com, or call (970) 744-3747.

A Note from the Mayor: Sadly for us, it was our cocktail server’s last show at the Candlelight. We’d gotten to know Katie Rhoades on previously visits to the venue. Ms. Rhoades may already be on her way out of town to the Big Apple, so we wish her lots of luck and hope to see her on Broadway one day. 

Listen to the audio of the follow transcript –> HERE.

Hi, my name is Heidi and I’m the Mayor of HeidiTown.com, a blog about events, festivals and travel around Colorado.

First, keep this in mind when you are making Valentine’s Day plans… from Fort Collins’ Lincoln Center to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, great live theater is taking place across Colorado.

Also, local dinner theaters have recently finished up their holiday shows and new shows are premiering. Here in Northern Colorado the Midtown Arts Center is now playing the Broadway smash hit Avenue Q. Despite featuring puppets, this Tony Award winning musical is not for kids. Learn more at Adinnertheater.com.

For some old fashion fun, see Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, now playing at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown. More at ColoradoCandlelight.com.

At Jesters Dinner Theater in Longmont, Once Upon a Mattress, the Princess and the Pea story, starts on February 3. Learn about Jester’s at JestersTheatre.com.

Last, but not least, because there are a few other dinner theaters around Colorado, one of my favorites, Boulders Dinner Theater is now playing Phantom. Visit BouldersDinnerTheatre.com for more.

And don’t forget, it’s symphony season too, another wonderful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Now for a few events and festivals happening this weekend, January 27 through the 29th, 2012.

Photo courtesy of GoBreck.com (Photography by Carl Scofield, online at CarlScofield.com)

The famed International Snow Sculpture Championships are underway in Breckenridge this week. This year there are 15 teams from ten countries participating in the event. The sculptures are located in the area around Riverwalk Center. Be sure to vote for your favorite sculpture while you are in town. Voting occurs this week through Sunday at 2 p.m. Learn more about this outstanding Colorado event at GoBreck.com.

Here’s an event that is taking place at Durango Mountain Resorts, but happens elsewhere in Colorado including at Rocky Mountain National Park. Evening Snowshoe Tours allow you to explore like never before. At Durango’s event, bundle up and enjoy a chairlift ride and guided tour to the top of the mountain. After your excursion, kick back at the Powderhouse Restaurant for a wine and cheese party. More at Durango.com.

For other evening snowshoe excursions in Colorado just Google “Night + Snowshoe + Colorado” and you’ll find other areas that offer this adventure.

I have always been intrigued with dog sled racing, and never missed watching the Iditarod while was growing up. This weekend it’s the Rocky Mountain High Sled Dog Sprints in the Grand Mesa National Forest 20 miles north of Cedaredge, Colorado. There are sanctioned and unsanctioned races being held at this event. For more information go to RMSDC.com.

For those science fiction and fantasy geeks out there – I can say this because I am totally addicted to the Game of Thrones series right now – the CoSine Science Fiction Convention is in Colorado Springs this weekend at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Guest of Honor this year is author Charles Stross. Many of his novels have been nominated for the Hugo award. Learn more about the convention at FirstFridayFandom.org/cosine.

Lastly, don’t forget to check out a local bird walk near you. These occur all over Colorado, from Fossil Creek Reservoir right here in Fort Collins, to the Nature & Raptor Center of Pueblo. It’s an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beauty and nature wonder of Colorado.

That’s all for this week. As always, you can chat with me daily on Twitter @HeidiTown, join the town’s block party at Facebook.com/HeidiTown.comonFB or circle the town on Google Plus. Until next week, I’ll see you online!

Thanks for listening!

Human Bowling at Winter Park's Winter Carnival. Photo courtesy of PlayWinterPark.com.

Listen to the audio –> HERE.

Hi, my name is Heidi, and I’m the Mayor of HeidiTown.com, a blog about Colorado events, festivals and road trips.

If you are anything like me, this is the time of year where I get a little down. Thankfully, the sun seems to always shine in Colorado, so that helps, and really, there’s no reason to be bored. You just have to look a little harder, and perhaps travel just a little farther to find something fun to do on the weekend.

Here’s the lineup for January 20 through the 22nd, 2012.

I recently posted a list of Colorado Winter Festivals not to be missed on HeidiTown.com, but I couldn’t list them all because there are A LOT.  So tuning in here is a good way to find out even more!

This weekend is Winter Park’s Winter Carnival. Running Friday through Sunday, the event also celebrates the birthday of one of the town’s most famous gals – Mary Jane. This is probably the biggest party of the year in Winter Park and includes everything from fireworks and a parade to tons of snow related activities, including a 5K snowshoe race. And despite getting off to a slow start this season, there IS plenty of snow in Winter Park! Learn more about this and other events year round at PlayWinterPark.com.

I’m always on the look out for museums like the Dinosaur Resource Center located in Woodland Park, Colorado. We are really lucky, because Colorado full of these types of gems. The Dinosaur Resource Center has lots of great events for kids year round, including Magical Music Winter Fun this Saturday. Visitors can see spectacular dinosaurs including T-Rex, raptors, giant flying and marine reptiles, huge carnivorous fish and life restorations. Even take a peak into the fossil preparation lab. Visit RMDRC.com for more.

Other dinosaur museums around Colorado you might want to check out are the Dinosaur Journey Museum in Fruita, online at MuseumsofWesternCo.com. The Dinosaur Depot Museum in Canon City, at DinosaurDepot.com. The Dinosaur National Monument located along the Colorado/Utah border and online at NPS.gov/DNO. The Morrison Natural History Museum in Morrison, at MNHM.org, and also in Morrison, Dinosaur Ridge online DinoRidge.org.

This Saturday, celebrate the Chinese New Year at the Denver Art Museum. In addition to Chinese art there will be lion and dragon dances performed by the Colorado Asian Heritage Center followed by a martial arts demonstration. More on this event at DenverArtMuseum.org.

There are a couple nature-oriented activities I’d like to tell you about. First, the Wintertime Plant Walk at my favorite Northern Colorado trail, Devil’s Backbone Open Space in Loveland. If you like to garden and you are getting the itch, this may help relieve it a bit. Join a naturalist at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the trailhead. She will explain how plants along this trail handle the harsh winter season.

Also on Saturday, if you prefer birds over plants, join a naturalist for Big Birds of River Bluffs Open Space in Windsor. Located at the I25/Windsor interchange, this two-hour program takes an in-depth look at the large birds that use the river corridor. For more information on this event and other similar events, visit Larimer.org/naturalresources.

Here’s an upcoming event you might want to calendar. The famed International Snow Sculpting Championships in Breckenridge start Tuesday, January 24 and run through February 5. For more information and to plan your trip to this amazing event, visit GoBreck.com.

Also just around the corner is Snowdown in Durango February 1 through the 5th. I’ve written about this event and other Winter Festivals on HeidiTown.com, so make sure you’re tuning into the blog or subscribe by stopping into the town’s Visitors Center. Along with useful information there are lots of contests on the blog that allow you to become a VIP at events across Colorado.

That’s all for this weekend. As always, you can contact me directly by emailing TheMayor@HeidiTown.com. Follow me on Twitter @HeidiTown, and join the town’s growing block party at Facebook.com/HeidiTown.comOnFB.

Thanks for listening!

This past year, I joined People with Compassion for Pets, a giving circle. In less than a year we’ve given over $1,000 to deserving nonprofits, and I only give $25 a month! This has opened my eyes to the fact that every little bit counts and it IS possible to have a positive impact on the world around us.

I began thinking of other small ways I could help, and then I realized that I’m a Mayor! So starting in February, HeidiTown.com is going to give back to Colorado-based nonprofits this year by offering free sponsorship ad space to a different charity every month.

The monthly nonprofit logo will appear on all the Festivals and Events pages and on the Visitors Center page. HeidiTown will also promote this charity all month via Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn and wherever else the Mayor travels in the social media world.

Because this town is all about “stuff the Mayor likes,” I will be highlighting some of my favorite nonprofits, and many are animal-oriented organizations, however, you are more than welcome to introduce me to any nonprofit you’d like to see on HeidiTown this year. You can either leave a comment here, or email me at TheMayor@HeidiTown.com.

Each nonprofit will be asked/notified prior to appearing on HeidiTown.com.

Stay tuned to find out what organization will be featured in February!

Winter is fun for everyone in Colorado!

The following is the HeidiTown weekly segment on KRFC 88.9 FM, public radio in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Listen to the audio —> HERE

Hi, my name is Heidi, and I’m the Mayor of HeidiTown.com, a blog about Colorado events, festivals and road trips. I have become the expert on Colorado travel, so be sure you are hooked up with me in the world of Social Media. The town is especially active on Facebook, Twitter and now Google Plus.

So without further ado, here’s the line up for January 13 through 15, 2012.

First up, an event I discovered last winter, the 3rd Annual Estes Park Winter Festival runs this Friday through Sunday, and is highly recommend by ME!  My husband and I had so much fun at this event last year. In addition to the interactive ice castle, which is great for kids, we really enjoyed the chili cook-off. I think we sample over forty-some green and red chilis, and many were outstanding. There’s also a wine and beer tasting, live music and lots of other stuff on the schedule.

The popularity of this event has prompted a move from Bond Park to the heated, enclosed pavilion at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park. This has allowed festival planners to increase the size and scope of this event. I can’t wait to attend. For more information go to EstesParkWinterFestival.com.

While in Estes, enjoy Winter Trails Day at Rocky Mountain National Park on the Saturday the 14th. This is an awesome event that happens all over the country and allows people to try out all sorts of winter sports. Go to WinterTrails.org for details.

It seems that most of Colorado’s mountain towns have a winter festival. Some have a long history, like Steamboat Spring’s Winter Carnival in February. Most were created for the citizens of the towns in order to help them cope with cabin fever. Some of these events have become wildly popular with tourists and road trippers as well.

Aspen’s 61st Annual WinterSkol is an example of such an event… it’s the town’s annual Toast to Winter, and runs this Thursday through Sunday. Remember, today, Aspen is known as a ski town overrun with celebrities, but it has a rich and fabulous Colorado mining history and is a beautiful place to visit year round.

The event includes lots of outdoor snow-oriented activities as well as a soup cook off, snow sculpting, a canine fashion show, fireworks, and so much more. Visit AspenChamber.org for the schedule of events at WinterSkol.

Have you ever wanted to go dog sledding? Perhaps you read my list of things to do in Colorado in 2012, and you’ve decided to try snow shoeing or cross country skiing? Well, here’s your chance to try any mountain sport you desire at the Durango Mountain Resort Winterfest.

This event is literally packed with activities on Saturday and Sunday all taking place at Durango Mountain Resort, often referred to as just Purgatory. Whether you’ve always wanted to try ice climbing, or if sledding is more your speed, there’s something for everyone in the family at this event. Visit DurangoMountainResort.com for all the exhilarating details.

For those of you in Northern Colorado, there are a couple of local milestones I’d like to point out. First, City Park in Fort Collins celebrates it’s 100 year anniversary this year. Keep an eye on your local newspaper for all the events that are planned surrounding City Park’s yearlong birthday party.

This year, the Loveland/Museum Gallery celebrates their 75th anniversary. If you haven’t toured this museum, located at 503 N. Lincoln Avenue, it’s a great time to go and learn all about Loveland’s history. Did you know Loveland used to be covered in cherry tree orchards? That’s a little tidbit I learned at the Loveland/Museum Gallery. Enjoy cupcakes an candles in Peters Park at the museum at 5:30 this Thursday evening and learn about all the upcoming events associated with this impressive milestone. Visit Ci.Loveland.CO.US for more.

That’s all the time I have for this week!  Follow me on Twitter @HeidiTown and be sure to join the town’s block party on Facebook at HeidiTown.comonFB!

Thanks for listening!

Winter Carnival 2011. Skijoring, Steamboat Spring style! Photo by H. M. Kerr-Schlaefer, all rights reserved.

After the holidays, things slow down… especially along the Front Range of Colorado, but there’s still tons of fun to be had, especially in the mountains. It seems that every mountain town and ski resort has a festival during the winter months.

This is not a top 5 list because quite frankly I’m not sure how I would narrow it down to a top five; each town has a unique festival that expresses the nature of that particular community, so each event is special. I’ve picked five festivals to highlight in this post, and will feature others here, on Facebook and on the radio as the winter progresses.

Winter Carnival, Steamboat Springs, February 8-12, 2012 – During this event the streets of Steamboat Springs, Colorado are turned into a snowy racetrack for daredevils of the cowboy variety. Skijoring at Winter Carnival may be one of the most entertaining events I’ve ever watched. Other competitions include the shovel races, the dog dash, the dad race and lots more. The event is capped off with the Night Extravaganza at Howelsen Hill, a fireworks show and the famous Lighted Man. Learn more about the 99^th Annual Winter Carnival at SteamboatChamber.com.

Estes Park Winter Festival, January 13-15, 2012 – If you follow this blog you may have already read about the Estes Park Winter Festival, when I ran the contest for VIP tickets to this event. With a chili cook off, beer and wine tasting, live music, an ice castle, and so much more, this is one of my favorite Estes Park events. Buy tickets at EstesParkWinterFest.com.

Ullr Festival, Breckenridge, January 8-14, 2012 – This 49^th annual tradition of partying like a Viking in Breckenridge, Colorado made my weekly HeidiTown segment on KRFC 88.9 FM. The event is now in full swing with the craziest stuff, like a flinging frying pans contest happening this coming weekend. HeidiTown readers rated this as the best winter festival in Colorado in a Facebook poll last winter.  Read more at GoBreck.com.

Ullr Festival Parade, photo courtesy of GoBreck.com on Facebook. Click photo to go to their page!

Snowdown, Durango, February, 1-5, 2012 – Outside Magazine rates this as one of the top winter festivals in North American, so it’s gotta be good! This Durango, Colorado festival pays homage to the silly things that happen when a person gets cabin fever with events like a polar bear plunge, a burp-off, arm wrestling competition, snow golf and plenty more oddly hilarious activities that help the locals (and tourists) get through the cold winter months. Each year has a different theme, so head over to Snowdown.org, to find out 2012’s.

Frozen Dead Guy Days, Nederland, March 2-4, 2012 – I think this is one of Colorado’s most famous festivals, and Grandpa Bredo is most definitely the most famous frozen dead guy in the world. While Grandpa Bredo has been on ice in a Nederland shack for 22 years, the festival is just 11-years-old, and the bizarre nature of the event fits the rather wacky personality of Nederland. Let’s just say Nederland, Colorado is weird at any time of year, but especially during this festival. If coffin racing, frozen t-shirt competitions and polar plunging sound good to you, visit FrozenDeadGuyDays.org for all the icy details.

Listen to the audio —>  HERE.

Hi, my name is Heidi and I’m the mayor of HeidiTown.com, a blog about events, festivals and road trips around Colorado.

It’s looking like January is a rather quiet month in Northern Colorado, so if you know of an event or festival in the area please, please email me about it! You can reach me at TheMayor@HeidiTown.com.

Here’s the lineup for Friday, January 6 through Sunday, January 8, 2012.

Here in Fort Collins it’s First Friday Featuring Gallery Walk. Nineteen business participate from 6 to 9 p.m. It will be a great night to be in downtown. For more information and a list of all participating businesses and sponsors go to DowntownFortCollins.com.

This Friday at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden, Colorado, it’s the 38th Annual Cherrleyn Postage Stamp Show from 12 to 5 p.m. There will be 29 dealers and millions of stamps, postcards and postal history. This event is open to the public.

On Saturday, at the same venue it’s the Intermountain Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society’s 14th annual model railroading and memorabilia vendor extravaganza. The event runs from 9 to 4 with early bird entry at 7:15. Visit Jeffco.us/fair for all events taking place at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

I found a couple agricultural related events happening this weekend, which I thought was a bit odd for January, but then again, this is a slow month.

This Saturday visit the Agricultural Heritage Center in Longmont on St. Vrain Road. Open from 10 to 5, the center is a place to learn about the rich agricultural history of Boulder County. This site focuses on 1900 to 1925 and the farm includes a farmhouse built in 1909 and furnished from that area, two barns, an outhouse, a milkhouse, a blacksmith shop and there are animals on the site seasonally. Tours start at 11 a.m. For more information visit BoulderCounty.org.

At the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora, families can learn about farm chores this Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Take a wagon ride to Wells Crossing and discover how pioneers survivied on the prairie help feed farm animals. More at PlainsCenter.org.

This is a good time of year to visit your local museum, and there are quite a lot of good ones all across Colorado. I’ve written about several of my person favorites on HeidiTown.com under the Museum tab.

Here’s a fun activity happening at SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch. From January 7 to April 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. every Saturday enjoying night skiing and tubing under the lights. Visit GranbyRanch.com for details.

Ullr Fest in Breckenridge, Colorado. Photo by Carl Scofield. Provided by GoBreck.com.

On Sunday, January 8, it’s the start of a 48 year tradition in Breckenridge, Colorado. Ullr Fest takes place through January 14 and during this wacky week viking hats are the fashion accessory of choice in Breck. Ooler, is spelled Ullr and in Norse mythology he is the son of Sif and the stepson of Thor, the God of Thunder. Ullr loves the cold and loves to party and so does Breckenridge. This crazy festival includes Ullrlympics, where the Ullrympions fling frying pans for prizes, and it also includes a parade that entices 12,000 revelers to the streets of Breckenridge. Visit GoBreck.com for more details.

That’s it for this week. As always, follow me on Twitter @HeidiTown and join the town’s block party on Facebook at HeidiTown.comonFB.

Thanks for listening!

The Estes Park Winter Festival is fun for the entire family. Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer, all rights reserved.

The 3^rd Annual Estes Park Winter Festival runs Friday, January 13 through Sunday, January 15, 2012.

Last year, my husband and I decided to randomly check out this event without really knowing what to expect, and we had so much fun! In addition to the interactive ice castle, which is really great for kids, we loved the chili cook off. I think we sampled over forty green and red chilis. The hot green chilis are always my favorite and there were some memorable ones with a good kick.

The event starts on Friday night with a Céilidh Barn dance and outdoor bonfire that includes cowboy poetry and ghost stories, hot chocolate and s’mores. This event is free and sponsored by Estes Park Weddings.

Last year's chili cook off attracted more than forty competitors. Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer, all rights reserved.

The next day is Winter Trails day at Rocky Mountain National Park and the two days of live music, chili, beer and wine tasting commence at the Estes Park Winter Festival. This event has become so popular it has been moved from Bond Park to the heated, enclosed pavilion at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park. This has allowed the festival organizers to increase the size and scope of this event and I can’t wait to attend again this year! To read the entire schedule of events planned for Winter Festival, go here.

Admission to Estes Park Winter Festival is just $5, and this includes chili tasting. For $25 you can purchase festival admission that includes chili tasting and the extensive beer and wine tasting. Purchase tickets here.

And now for the really, really good part… you can enter here to win admission for two to this event. One luck winner will receive two $25 full admission tickets that include beer and wine tasting. ID required at the door.

Estes Park Winter Festival includes an extensive beer and wine tasting. Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer, all rights reserved.

Just leave a comment below telling me if you prefer green or red chili and you’ll be entered to win a pair of tickets to this fantastic Estes Park event. Feel free to tell us who makes your favorite chili, whether it be a restaurant, family member or friend.

I think I make a darn good red chili, but my friend Lara, of Fly By Chili,  makes my favorite green chili.

A winner will be chosen at random this Friday, January 6, at approximately 3 p.m.

Join the Estes Park Winter Festival on Facebook and check out more photos from last year’s Estes Park Winter Festival on HeidiTown’s Facebook page.

Good luck!

~ CONTEST CLOSED ~

Listen to the audible of this radio show HERE!

My name is Heidi, and I’m the Mayor of HeidiTown.com, a blog about events, festivals and road trips in Colorado.

This weekend is New Year’s Eve… so that means parties galore.

Since most of you are listening are in the Northern Colorado area, I’m first going to tell you about a few New Years parties you may want to attend this Saturday night.

Photos by Matthew Gale of NominationStation. Click photo to go to NS on FB!

In Greeley, enjoy the annual New Year Eve Party at The Kress Cinema & Lounge at 817 8th Avenue in downtown. I am a huge fan of The Kress and have written about it several times on HeidiTown.com. This party includes a live band, horde’ ores, a free movie, a champagne toast and live coverage of the Times Square ball drop. Visit the Kress online at KressCinema.com, and watch for details on their annual Oscar party.

Here in Fort Collins dress up in your best gangster duds and prepare to dance the night away at the Brew Year’s Eve Bootleggers Bash at the Fort Collins Brewery and Gravity Ten Twenty Restaurant. The evening includes dinner, drinks, prizes, casino games and more. Visit Gravity1020.com and look under the EVENTS tab for more info.

Also in Fort Collins, enjoy the 16th Annual First Night in Fort Collins on New Year’s Eve. This is a citywide celebration featuring entertainment of all shapes and sizes for all ages. From music and storytelling to interactive craft projects to international dance, this unique event features over 100 shows in venues all across the City of Fort Collins. For the schedule visit DowntownFortCollins.com.

If you want to get out of town for New Years, there are other great places to celebrate. I’ll be road tripping to one of Steamboat Springs, to ring in the New Year with old friends at bars all across this Colorado ski town.

However, in the past I’ve spent New Year’s Eves in downtown Denver. The fireworks on the 16th Street Mall are always a wonderful way to ring in the New Year. There are actually two shows, one at 9 p.m. and another at midnight. It’s fun to experience this event with the crowds of revelers on 16th Street Mall. Go to VisitDenver.com for details.

Last year, I discovered another fantastic way to celebrate New Years Eve. We traveled with a group of friends to Black Hawk to ring in the New Year alongside noisy slot machines and groups of excited gamblers. Being of Scottish decent, I’m not much of a fan of gambling, but the environment in Black Hawk and Central City during any holiday is contagious.

For many of us, New Year’s is a time for resolutions and goal setting. I’ve created a list at HeidiTown of the Top 5 things to add to your Colorado to-do list in 2012. Some of these simple activities include going snowshoeing, taking a train ride and soaking in a beautiful Colorado hot spring. See the entire list at HeidiTown.com!

That’s all for this week! As always, keep up with me on Twitter @HeidiTown and join the town’s block party at Facebook at HeidiTown.comOnFB.

Have a happy and safe New Years and I’ll see you next year!

Photo from Grand Adventure Balloon. Click on photo to go to their website!

I’m not one for resolutions. I have too much guilt when I stray, but I do like lists… to-do lists, packing lists, and even grocery lists. Here’s a list of the things I think should be on your 2012 Colorado To-Do List. Do one or do a few, or make it your New Years Resolution to do them all! And if you do, do them all, I’ll come up with some sort of prize or make you the HeidiTown citizen of the year.  Seriously, I will!

1) Train. I know, I know. I write a lot about trains, but they are just so neat! I’ve mentioned them before and probably will again, but here’s the list of rides I love: Royal Gorge Route Railroad, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and Georgetown Loop Railroad. If I’m missing any great Colorado train rides, please let me know! I also enjoy taking the Amtrak from Denver to Glenwood Springs. This train ride is scenic at any time of year. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Ski Train!

2) Hot Air Balloon. I see hot air balloons all over Colorado, and one of these days I’m going to get a lift! I’d like to give a shout out to a Facebook buddy, Grand Adventure Balloon Tours based in Winter Park, Colorado.

Photo from Strawberry Park Hot Springs on Facebook. Click on photo to go to page!

3) Hot Springs. When I moved to Colorado about 12 years ago, I had no idea that the state was brimming with hot springs. My new favorite is Mt. Princeton Hot Spring Resort, and I recommend booking a room at the resort so that you can use the VIP pools. We always have fun at Glenwood Hot Springs, and lastly, I think Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs is one of the most beautiful places in the world, especially during winter.

4) Snowshoe. My favorite Colorado winter activity, second only to my newest love of cross-country skiing. It’s a great way to see the beautiful backcountry during the snowy months and it’s an awesomely fun way to burn calories.

5) Festival. As you know, there are many great festivals happening year-round in Colorado. Pick a new one and give it a try. We visited the Estes Park Winter Festival for the first time last year and if you are a fan of chili, this one is not to be missed. The annual chili cook off at this festival is a sight to behold – I think we tried over 40 chilis last year.